Podman Vs Docker - QuickGuide

TL;DR: Podman at a Glance

• Daemonless – Docker runs a central background service (dockerd) that needs root access. Podman doesn’t—it launches containers directly as subprocesses, with less overhead and better portability.
• Rootless by Design – Podman can run entirely as a regular user. No sudo, no elevated privileges. Safer by default, ideal for multi-user environments or restricted systems.
• Command Compatible – Podman mimics the Docker CLI so closely you can just run:
  alias docker=podman
  and forget you're not using Docker.
• Open Licensing – 100% open-source (Apache 2.0 + LGPL), no commercial license drama. Use it freely in production, at scale, or in closed environments.
• Docker Compose – Supported via podman-compose. It works, but it's not yet as battle-tested or fully featured as Docker Compose.
• Image Access – Pulls from Docker Hub, Quay.io, GitHub Container Registry, and more. You can use the exact same images as Docker.
• Security – With SELinux, user namespaces, and no long-running daemon as root, Podman has a smaller attack surface—more secure by architecture.

Why Podman?

Docker’s been the default for years, but Podman brings a smarter, system-native approach to containers. It can do everything Docker does—pull images, run containers, build from Dockerfiles—but it does it without a daemon, and without needing root access.

And the best part is that Podman commands are nearly identical to Docker's commands. Run podman ps, podman run, or even alias it to docker, and you're good to go. It’s a drop-in replacement that feels familiar but works in a safer and more modular way.

Getting Started with Podman

Installation

# Fedora, RHEL, CentOS
sudo dnf install -y podman

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install -y podman

# macOS (via Homebrew)
brew install podman

You don’t need Docker installed to use Podman—even on a headless server.

Run a Container

podman run -d -p 8080:80 nginx

Same as Docker. If you're used to:

docker run -d -p 8080:80 nginx

You can alias it:

alias docker=podman

Build an Image

podman build -t myapp .

Podman uses standard Dockerfiles—no need to rewrite anything.

View Running Containers

podman ps

Using Podman Compose

Podman has its own podman-compose tool for handling multi-container setups:

pip install podman-compose
podman-compose up

Just drop in your existing docker-compose.yml file. It works for most common setups, but be aware: it’s not quite as polished as Docker Compose yet (networking quirks, volume mounting differences, etc.).

Extra: systemd Integration

Want your container to start at boot and restart automatically? Podman can generate systemd unit files:

podman generate systemd --name myapp --files --restart-policy=always

Drop them into ~/.config/systemd/user/, then:

systemctl --user enable --now container-myapp.service

Way easier than scripting a docker run in crontab.

Summary

Podman isn’t just a "not-Docker"—it’s a modern take on container management:

• Runs without a root daemon.
• Safer and simpler for many use cases.
• Fully CLI-compatible with Docker.
• No license gates, ever.

If you're doing dev on Linux, managing servers, or want secure containers in user space, Podman is well worth the switch. Bonus: you can run it alongside Docker and switch at your own pace.